‘But ultimately the Government need to take our railways back into public hands. That will stop hundreds of millions being siphoned off by private rail firms, and allow us to put passengers first.’

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: ‘While the British passenger is being pumped for cash, the same private companies are axing safety-critical staff and security on our trains and stations.

‘It’s a national scandal that private profit comes before public safety on our rail network.

‘Even worse, with 75% of Britain’s railways in overseas hands, it is the British people who are subsidising state-run rail operations across the continent.

‘The answer to this racket is a full return to public ownership of Britain’s railways and an end to this gross profiteering at the fare-payers expense.

Here’s what a season ticket in UK would cost you for a 30-mile commute compared to the rest of Europe (Picture: Metro.co.uk/Myles Goode)

Mick Whelan, leader of the train drivers’ union Aslef said: ‘Workers have missed out on real pay rises for years. It is unfair that this subsidised industry drives up transport poverty.

‘These fare rises hurt the communities and industries that they should be supporting, and this is without even counting the scandalous cost of parking at certain stations.’

Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said: ‘Every year UK passengers are forced to pay more to Holland, Germany, France and Italy, all of whom currently own our train operating companies.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘We are investing in the biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian times to improve services for passengers – providing faster and better, more comfortable trains with extra seats.

‘This includes the first trains running though London on the Crossrail project, an entirely new Thameslink rail service and continuing work on the transformative Great North Rail Project.

‘We keep fare prices under constant review and the price rises for this year are capped in line with inflation, with 97p out of every £1 paid going back into the railway.’